OTTAWA — The lengthy federal NDP leadership race officially
enters the final lap Thursday afternoon when New Democrats can begin
casting ballots for their next leader.
The vast majority of the 128,351 eligible party members are
expected to vote through the mail or online before the party's March 24
leadership convention in Toronto. Those who attend the convention --some
3,000 New Democrats are expected to turn up -- will be able to vote
there; others can opt to follow the proceedings online and cast their
votes electronically, ballot by ballot, in real time.
But most will vote in advance, submitting online or mail-in
preferential ballots, on which they've marked their first, second, third
and subsequent choices.
With preferential ballots, as voters' first choices are knocked
off the ballot, their second choices are counted and then their third
choices and so on until one candidate emerges with more than 50 per cent
of the vote.
The fact that most New Democrats will have voted long before March 24 will take much of the drama out of the convention.
Trailing candidates who are forced to drop out can still
theatrically cross the floor at the convention to another contender. But
most of their supporters will have long since decided independently
where their votes will go and won't be influenced by the convention-day
drama.
To have much influence over their supporters, trailing candidates
would have to drop out and endorse a rival before the bulk of the
advance voting has taken place.
That helps explain the timing of Robert Chisholm's endorsement
Wednesday of Montreal MP Thomas Mulcair, the perceived frontrunner.
Chisholm, a former Nova Scotia NDP leader, dropped out of the race
before Christmas, citing his inability to speak French. Chisholm, whose
campaign had barely begun by the time he dropped out, last week doubted
an endorsement from him would hold much sway over his former supporters,
regardless of the timing.
"I frankly question how much influence I would have in that regard anyway," he told The Canadian Press.
Quebec MP Romeo Saganash has also dropped out of the contest but
has yet to endorse anyone else. However, his campaign manager and some
other aboriginal leaders who had been supporting Saganash, have recently
endorsed Ottawa MP Paul Dewar.
Others vying to succeed the late Jack Layton include former party
president Brian Topp, Toronto MP Peggy Nash, British Columbia MP Nathan
Cullen, Manitoba MP Niki Ashton and Nova Scotia pharmacist Martin Singh.
Mail-in ballots must be received by the party by March 19. Party
members can cast advance online votes until the morning of March 23.